Interagency Committee on Smoking and Health
Meeting Summary: August 14, 2001
Smoking Cessation: Facing the Challenges of Tobacco
Addiction
Research Efforts: The Importance of A Focus on Youth
Cathy L. Backinger, M.P.H., Ph.D., Program Director, Tobacco Control Research Branch,
Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National
Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
Dr. Backinger described the trends in adolescent smoking and cited the fact that with 3,000
kids becoming regular smokers every day and at least 3.1 million adolescents currently
smoking, it is important that we continue to place a heavy emphasis on adolescent tobacco
use prevention and cessation efforts. Evidence indicates that two out of three young people
wish they had never started smoking but three out of four who have tried to quit at least
once have failed. We know that the addiction process is complex, but that young people do
become addicted to nicotine and many show signs of dependence before they have become daily
smokers. Unfortunately, behavioral interventions to date have reported only modest success
and studies of the nicotine patch are not encouraging. On a positive note, recent research
is taking into account the developmental aspects of adolescents that distinguish them as
more than "little adults" with unique needs for specialized cessation services.
Dr. Backinger briefly described an NCI collaborative effort with NIDA, NICHD, NINR, and
NIDCR to "fund innovative research that has clear implications for the immediate and
significant reduction of tobacco use by children and youth in the United States." Currently
there are 16 NCI-funded behavioral tobacco cessation interventions underway in a variety of
settings (clinician, hospital, HMO, school, grocery stores, and homes) with a variety of
interventions (self-help materials, video, telephone counseling, and interactive
computer-based programs). In addition, there are five currently funded pharmacological
interventions for youth tobacco cessation by NIH including two with buproprion, one with
buproprion plus the nicotine patch, one with the nicotine patch for smokeless tobacco (which
preliminary evidence shows no effectiveness) and one with the nicotine patch and nicotine
gum. Dr. Backinger believes that the results of much of this research will help identify new
research needs and inform program and policy development.
Concluding her remarks, Dr. Backinger described two efforts underway that will also improve
our understanding of youth tobacco cessation. The first is the Youth Tobacco Cessation
Collaborative, a public-private partnership, which includes an identification of best
practices, an evaluation component and a group at NCI looking at measures. A second effort,
Translating Research into Improved Outcomes (TRIO) is also ongoing. TRIO is an NCI
initiative designed to promote the adoption of evidence-based cancer control interventions.
Once effective interventions are identified, rapid translation into practice needs to occur
if we are to assist young people in stopping tobacco use.
Following her presentation, Dr. Backinger was asked whether we have a "magic bullet" or even
just a "bullet" for the most effective approaches to youth cessation. The response was that
although it would be premature to make any changes in current delivery of services, there is
some evidence that looks promising and this has only been made possible by earmarked funding
for this purpose.
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